How to Say ‘Tell me / please teach me’ in Japanese
教えて
oshie te
[oshi-e te]
💬 Usage Tip: [教えて] is the casual form of '[please tell me].' On its own, it can sound direct, so in customer service [教えてください] is much safer.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese service language usually prefers softer, more polite requests, especially with strangers, guests, and customers.
Phrase Breakdown
教え
oshie
[oshi-e]
teach; tell
The stem of 教える, used when asking someone to tell or explain something.
道を教えてほしいです。
I want you to tell me the way.
て
te
[te]
and; please do
The te-form ending that connects actions or makes a request with a verb stem.
ゆっくり話して、もう一度教えてください。
Please speak slowly and tell me one more time.
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